No one involved will be spared: Rab DG

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has scaled up intelligence operations to prevent question paper leak ahead of the upcoming SSC examinations, scheduled to begin on February 2.

As part of it, the elite force will increase cyber monitoring and conduct undercover drives across the country, said Rab Director General Benazir Ahmed at a press conference at its media centre in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar yesterday.

“We will conduct cyber patrols alongside undercover drives to put an end to question paper leak…,” he said. “Rab has already started working in this regard, and you will see results in a day or two.”

In its action plan, Rab with the help of mobile courts will monitor coaching centres so that those stay shut during the SSC exams as per the government directive. All coaching centres are to remain closed from January 27 to February 27.

Meanwhile in a directive yesterday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police barred unauthorised entry of people within 200 yards of exam centres in Dhaka during exams.

The government along with law enforcement agencies is taking these measures as last year's SSC exams witnessed a spate of question leaks. Mostly the multiple choice questions were leaked and found online in Facebook and Whatsapp groups, at least an hour before the exams.

Referring to the legal actions taken against 128 people including 15 teachers last year, the Rab chief also warned of tougher action this time.

“Be it students or guardians or teachers or others, no one will be spared if found guilty,” he warned. The Rab DG requested guardians and students not to pay heed to rumours regarding question paper leaks.

“I urge you, guardians, not to look around for leaked question papers. And to teachers, I say, do not get involved in such things,” Benazir said.

During the exams, Rab members will visit and monitor all examination centres, he said.

Meanwhile in Satkhira, Rab detained an 18-year-old in the town's Stadium area for his alleged involvement in selling fake question papers on Facebook, reports our correspondent quoting Lieutenant Commander BNMM Zahidul Kabir, deputy director of Rab-6.